The Battle of Southern Italy

Before the war, Napoleon had cut a deal with King Ferdinand of Naples. The Neapolitans got control over a few French-held port towns and in return, Ferdinand agreed to stay out of any future coalitions against France. In 1806, both Russia and Britain landed small armies on Neapolitan territory. It was obviously impossible for two foreign powers to land thousands of troops along his coast without some kind of collaboration from the Neapolitos. Few things enraged Napoleon more than a broken promise. He vowed to make King Ferdinand pay.